Shrouded Sun
by cat4prowl
Summary: BurnClan, StreamClan, BreezeClan, and RockClan face an elusive enemy. A prophecy from StarClan... How can the Clans defeat what they do not truly know? rated for occasional violence
1. Prologue: Lightning

**A/N: I do not own the Warriors idea. That would be Erin Hunter. I do 'own' BurnClan, StreamClan, BreezeClan, and RockClan as well as the characters and plot. Enjoy!**

Prologue- Lightning

A violent wind howled through the clearing, screaming of pain. The meadow was swathed in a shimmering blue-green light; the cats of BurnClan lay curled in their dens, escaping the pounding rain.

A young ginger-colored she-cat let out a yowl of pain and the wind rose to a new volume to match hers. The cry rang throughout the camp, some cats flinched sympathetically. Lightning crashed in the distance, shrieking in rage.

The she-cat was laying on a patch of damp earth underneath a tree branch, sides heaving. Her belly was swollen with kits.

"Shhh," soothed a silver, spotted tom as she let out another cry of pain. His tail flicked with indecision before he stood to face a small white cat with brown striped spots. "Amberpaw, fetch some borage," he glanced nervously at the she-cat, "And some poppy seeds."

The young apprentice nodded raptly, "Yes Owlpelt!" She sprinted off towards the medicine cat den, her tail furling out behind her. The cats of the Clan raised their heads, watching her go from their nests in the dens. They shuffled their paws nervously, but with obvious excitement.

"Will she be okay?" a dark-streaked tabby asked, helplessly rasping his tongue across his mate's ear. He sat quite close to the she-cat, his tail resting lightly on her side.

Owlpelt bobbed his head, watching the she-cat's breathing, "Don't worry Marblepelt." He glanced outside at the raging weather, the lightning made him nervous. Marblepelt's tail twitched, he realized that Owlpelt was not answering him directly.

Marblepelt's eyes returned to his mate, and he mewed quietly in her ear, "I'll stay with you Gingerpool." Gingerpool's eyes closed briefly, acknowledging her trust in the two cats.

Owlpelt watched with grave foreboding, his ears twitching at the scream of thunder around him, her kitting was not going to be an easy one.


	2. Chapter 1: Bitter Uncertainty

Prologue- Lightning

Chapter 1- Bitter Uncertainty

Beams of sunlight pierced the sparse clouds, highlighting the shimmering pelts of BurnClan cats stretched out below. Mates were sharing tongues and kits were exploring the camp. They appeared serene, but a closer look revealed the shining eyes of apprentices, an impatient twitch of a warrior's tail, an elder's gaze intent on the setting sun.

The return of the dawn Border Patrol interrupted the tense excitement. The BurnClan cats rose and stretched, watching excitedly, as the returning cats reported to Thornstar's Den.

"Sunpaw!" A white apprentice with grey stripes on her head and back bounded over to an orange red-striped cat.

"What now Brightpaw?" Sunpaw hissed, glaring at her sister.

Brightpaw seemed unphased, "Come on Sunpaw! This could be our first gathering! Aren't you excited?!"

"No," Sunpaw snarled. She knew as well as any BurnClan cat that she wasn't going. Why did her sister have to be so mouse-brained?

"Well I am," Brightpaw mewed, tail twitching.

"Really? I had no idea," Sunpaw spat sarcastically and then rested her head on her paws, hoping Brightpaw would leave her alone.

"Brightpaw! Sunpaw!" the familiar voice made Sunpaw cringe with annoyance, Amberpaw had joined them.

"What?" called Brightpaw, matching Amberpaw's high-pitched excitement.

"Come on! Thornstar's about to announce who's going to the Gathering!" The medicine cat apprentice mewed before turning and darting away.

Brightpaw jumped to her paws, then looked back at Sunpaw, who hadn't moved, "Aren't you coming?"

Sunpaw glared at her, " I wouldn't waste my time."

Brightpaw hesitated, then sprinted off. Sunpaw snorted, and then shivered. The sun was starting to set, Thornstar and whoever he chose would have to leave for the Gathering soon. She wondered which apprentices he would choose.

Thistlepaw, of course. The older apprentice was one of the best fighters. Amberpaw would be going with Owlpelt, they almost always went. If Sunpaw looked at it objectively, she and Brightpaw should be going. They had been made apprentices only a couple moons ago and were the only apprentices that hadn't been to a Gathering yet.

But Sunpaw didn't like to lie to herself, she knew she wouldn't be going. Thornstar had only made her apprentice because her father, Marblepelt, had insisted.

_You can't really even call me an apprentice,_ she thought_, What with useless old Darkfang training me._ Darkfang was a loyal enough warrior, but he was nearly an elder and any cat knew his hearing and sense of smell were almost gone. He would probably retire to the elder's den in a couple of moons.

Thornstar didn't expect her to be able to do much of anything. With a resigned sigh, Sunpaw turned her gaze behind her, studying herself. She had a glossy sun-tinted orange pelt with slashes of darker orange-red along her head and back. Her muscles were beginning to show too, rippling beneath her fur. But then her eyes, like always, caught sight of her hind legs.

Or hind leg, actually. She had been born with three legs, a birth defect even Owlpelt couldn't help. No cat believed three-legged Sunpaw could ever finish her training, much less become a warrior, and they wouldn't embarrass the Clan by bringing her to a Gathering.

"Not that I care," Sunpaw murmured, glaring at her front paws.

"Care about what?"

Sunpaw looked up, startled, to see her mother looking curiously down at her. She sat up quickly, wrapping her tail around her so it halfway covered where her leg should have been. "Nothing," she growled.

Gingerpool held her daughter's defiant gaze evenly, but then had to look away. _Is she ashamed to look at me? _Sunpaw wondered. She watched as her mother nodded her head, "Suit yourself."

_I bet you wish I had never been kitted,_ Sunpaw thought bitterly, staring at her mother hard now.

"Sunpaw!" That was Brightpaw again.

Gingerpool gave Brightpaw a swift lick of affection when she reached them; Sunpaw remained silent, glaring at her sister.

Brightpaw ducked away from her mother, then announced, "I'm going!"

"I'm proud of you," Gingerpool murmured, eyes glowing.

"For doing what?!" Sunpaw snarled, "It's not as if she accomplished some great goal! Thornstar picked her because she'd never been, not because she earned it!" Why was her mother praising her sister for nothing?!

Gingerpool kept her gaze straight ahead, but Brightpaw simply responded cheerfully, "Well you must not have earned it either, because you're going too!"

Sunpaw flicked her tail with amusement, though she was a little annoyed, and then nodded when Gingerpool murmured that she was proud of her too. She got to her paws, splaying her front ones a little and letting her one back leg land in the center of her bodyweight, to balance.

"Who else is going?" Gingerpool asked; _probably to distract herself from me._

Brightpaw recited the names easily, "Thistlepaw of course, Sparrowpaw, Lilacpaw, Owlpelt but I think Amberpaw's staying to look after Darkfang's breathing. Marblepelt, Thornstar… duh!, and Redfoot, Greyleaf, Snowtail, and Tanglestripe. I think that's it? I'm not sure."

Gingerpool nodded and then turned towards the nursery, "I'm going to see Fernflower's kits."

"Bye!" Brightpaw called after her, turning her eager gaze to Sunpaw, "Can you believe this?! Our first gathering!"

"Probably my last, I don't even know why Thornstar is bothering with this one," Sunpaw snapped irritably. Why had he? _Probably wanted to be nice._

"Oh come on Sunpaw! Don't you think you'll be able to fight?" Brightheart was trying to put it delicately, but Sunpaw could tell she was curious.

"Of course I can! I could take you right now!" Sunpaw flexed her shoulder muscles, then continued, "But no other cat knows it just yet." Without waiting for a response, Sunpaw turned and headed for the entrance to Camp. Thornstar and several of the others were already there.

Brightpaw couldn't help watching Sunpaw walk with interest, she had a sort of limp. She would get on fine with her front legs, but her back leg sank close to the ground and then pushed off hard to result in a hopping motion.

Sunpaw's tail twitched, a warning, Brightpaw knew she hated when cats stared at her so she looked away quickly.

Ahead, Thornstar had started out towards Red Bluff, the Gathering spot. His long, brown and black striped pelt faded into the darkness that was starting to encompass the camp. Sunpaw glared at the back of his pelt, wondering why he had chosen to bring her. She didn't want any sympathy!

She didn't have much time to think about it, however, as the apprentices were gathering around her and Brightpaw.

"Brightpaw! Is this your first Gathering?" Lilacpaw mewed, twining her tail with the excited apprentice.

Brightpaw nodded, "Mine and Sunpaw's! I can't wait!"

The beautiful, long-furred, black she-cat bounced on her paws, "Me either!" Sunpaw flicked her tail with annoyance and hopped past them.

Sparrowpaw joined her, much to her dismay, "First Gathering huh?"

Sunpaw nodded, keeping her eyes away from the brown striped tom and concentrating on the ground in front of her instead.

"Nervous?" he mewed quietly, a touch of sympathy in his voice. She saw his eyes flick to her back leg.

She rounded on him, snarling in his face, "NO I am not nervous, so don't worry your stupid little head about it." She picked up her pace.

He muttered sorry and dropped back to join her sister and Lilacpaw, who were much more hospitable. She focused on the landscape now, determined to learn it. She had been on a border patrol with Darkfang but that was only by RockClan territory. There was the valley grass of BurnClan stretched before her, and she could make out Red Bluff ahead. The craggy rocks of RockClan lay on her right, and a small Twolegplace and footpath to her far left.

BurnClan were lucky, they were at the open end of the bluff; StreamClan had to follow the waterfall of their stream down into the bluff, RockClan had to either cross BurnClan territory (_Let them try!_) or clamber down the rocks, and BreezeClan had to circle around a little to get to the open end.

Sunpaw glanced over her shoulder at the apprentices clustered together behind her, but she barely cared. _I'm going to a Gathering!_ She allowed a little excitement to well up in her step, urging her forward.


	3. Chapter 2: Challenge

Prologue- Lightning

Chapter 2

Sunpaw's eyes widened as the BurnClan cats approached Red Bluff. The cliff-like rock formation was arranged in a crescent half-circle, facing them. The rocks were dusty red, supposedly stained by an ancient battle. Above her, the moon bathed the clearing with ghostly light.

On her right, Sunpaw could feel Brightpaw quivering with excitement. She glanced over at the other apprentices; they had all been here before, but even they were obviously excited.

Sunpaw flicked her tail and kept her eyes on the rocky ground in front of her. She was briefly glad she wasn't born in RockClan, because it was hard to maneuver. The coarse sand scraped the pads of her feet, so strange after living in grass most of her life.

Thornstar paused as they approached the clearing, waiting for some of the cats to catch up. Sunpaw doubled her pace, determined not to be caught at the back. Brightpaw's pelt brushed against hers, but she jerked away.

The BurnClan cats continued on, heads held high. Sunpaw knew they were considered the fiercest cats in the land, and she let it show in her eyes.

Then Sunpaw saw BreezeClan arriving. Their leader, Stormstar, gave Thornstar a curt nod as they approached the clearing. The cats of BreezeClan were known for their swiftness, Sunpaw knew that much, but she was surprised to see the way their lean bodies skimmed the ground. _What an odd way to move,_ Sunpaw thought, cocking her head.

Thornstar and Stormstar signaled for their Clans to stop, and leaped onto a rock that jutted out of the small cliff.

"That's Sharprock; the Clan leaders stand up there to address the Clans," Marblepelt mewed quietly to Brightpaw.

Sunpaw wasn't paying much attention, her eyes were fixed on the approaching StreamClan, who were leaping down the rocks by the waterfall. They didn't seem to mind the water spraying their fur as they descended.

Rainstar made sure her Clan reached the bottom safely, and then joined Thornstar and Stormstar on Sharprock.

Sunpaw glanced around at the BreezeClan and StreamClan cats and then she padded over to Brightpaw, who was talking with a StreamClan apprentice.

Sunpaw dipped her head in greeting, but bristled when she noticed that the apprentice was staring at her hind leg.

"Who's that?" the silvery apprentice mewed in Brightpaw's ear, loud enough for Sunpaw to hear the shock in her voice.

"Oh that's my sister, S-" she began, but Sunpaw cut her off.

"I'm Sunpaw," she snapped, glaring at the apprentice.

"Sun_paw_? How can you be an apprentice? You've only got three legs!"

"If you would like to find out how _helpless_ I am, I'll show you," Sunpaw hissed, unsheathing her claws with fury.

"Sunpaw! This is a Gathering! You can't fight!" Brightpaw mewed, a tone of panic clear in her voice.

"Lucky for you," Sunpaw reluctantly sheathed her claws and stalked away before the apprentice could reply.

She wove in between the cats angrily, catching snippets of conversation.

"Whitestar's always late! Leave it to RockClan to take their time…"

"When does it start?"

"Silverpelt is bright tonight!"

"StarClan may be angry, I wish RockClan would hurry up."

"…A bunch of mouse-brains."

As if summoned, the stout cats of RockClan descended the rocky Cliffside with quiet ease. Even the apprentices seemed to take their time! A short-legged white cat led them, Whitestar.

He joined the other leaders on Sharprock easily, earning an annoyed look from Thornstar. Sunpaw was sure she heard Stormstar mutter, "About time!"

"Welcome, cats of all Clans. Let the Gathering begin," Whitestar yowled with assured authority, his head high in quiet pride. He looked at ease on the rock, addressing the impatient cats.

Thornstar, Rainstar, and Stormstar nodded simultaneously, the signal for Whitestar to begin.

Whitestar stepped forward, "RockClan is doing well, though prey was scarce for a small while. We have a new warrior, Stonetooth!"

A bulky, rough grey tom stood and nodded calmly. His Clanmates nudged him affectionately.

"We have noticed," Whitestar continued, "that the Thunderpath near our border is being used by more monsters than usual. Has BurnClan noticed anything similar?"

The Thunderpath ran near the borders of both Clans, and Thornstar nodded, "Yes, but it has not created a problem for my Clan."

He said it as a challenge but Whitestar simply flicked his tail, "Nor for mine. We should be wary though."

Several cats nodded agreement, although some whispered annoyance. Whitestar stepped back, done.

Rainstar padded forward and meowed confidently, "The river is filled with fish and our kits and elders are eating well. The prey is running, but we hardly need it. Blueclaw had a healthy litter of kits just recently."

She stepped down, and Sunpaw felt annoyed. She had heard how adaptive StreamClan was, but fishing! And the tone in the leader's voice, arrogant as she talked about prey when other Clans may have needed it!

Thornstar stepped up confidently, "Our prey is running, but we are faster. Our warriors drove out a fox not long ago, towards the Thunderpath."

Whitestar nodded slowly, "Our warriors found it, flattened by a monster." Some cats laughed appreciatively.

"We have two new apprentices," Thornstar went on, "Brightpaw and Sunpaw."

Sunpaw immediately stood and then looked over at Brightpaw, who was sitting proudly. Her fur began to prickle as she felt the cat's eyes linger on her. Whispers broke out like a rabbit from a bush; Sunpaw's eyes narrowed, a hiss rising in her throat.

"A three-legged apprentice? BurnClan has become weak," Rainstar meowed defiantly. Stormstar's eyes gleamed.

"How will it fight?" Stormstar sneered.

"Come down here and I'll show you!"


	4. Chapter 3: Prophecy and Punishment

Prologue- Lightning

Chapter 3- Prophecy and Punishment

A solitary cloud began drifting towards the moon. As it entered the path of light, darkening the clearing, the cats below began to panic. Like some dark hand gripping the moonshine, a hand of fear and forewarning gripped the cats.

"Thornstar! StarClan has spoken, control the apprentice!" Whitestar commanded, his voice clear and sure.

Thornstar snarled and fixed the furious Sunpaw with a steely gaze. Sunpaw held it for a moment, then bowed her head obediently. _I'm going to be crowfood!_ She thought, scrambling back towards the other BurnClan cats.

"My apologies," Thornstar mewed, tail twitching angrily, "Stormstar?"

The brown-flecked tom stepped forward, "BreezeClan is well. The Twolegpath near our border is less active, prey is plentiful, and our warriors drove out a badger not long ago. We had a small case of greencough, but Brushfire took care of it."

With a sweeping gaze that landed briefly on Sunpaw, he stepped back.

"If no cat has anything else to add, I suggest we go. Before StarClan becomes angry again," Rainstar meowed, looking down at Sunpaw with a glint in her eyes.

Sunpaw's neck fur bristled, but she closed her eyes and bit her tongue.

"Wait!" Owlpelt mewed, a tone of uncertainty clear, "I-We have something to say; a message from StarClan."

Brushfire stood and followed Owlpelt towards Sharprock, joined by Shortfoot and Bluepool. _All medicine cats._

"On our last journey to Starlit Caverns, the Moonfalls gave us a prophecy," Shortfoot, the medicine cat of RockClan, began.

"We've decided it concerned all the Clans," Bluepool explained.

"Because we all received it," Brushfire added.

They glanced at each other and then recited together, "_**Beware, when life is tainted, weakness will wane to strength and the embers of blood will flare up again.**_"

Whispers rippled through the crowd, "Life? How can life be tainted?"

"Embers of blood?

"Maybe there will be a sickness!"

"Or a fight… a fire!"

"What is StarClan telling us?!"

"Quiet!" Stormstar ordered, "There are many ways we could interpret it, but let's see what Brushfire and the others think."

"We're not sure," Bluepool answered, "It could mean anything."

"For now," Whitestar suggested, "We should be on our guard. But speculating will do us no good."

"I agree," Thornstar nodded, "This Gathering is over."

The leaders leapt from Sharprock, gathering their Clans quickly and leaving immediately. There was a tense hunch in the cats' shoulders, a distracted uncertainty in their pawsteps.

Sunpaw slipped over to Brightpaw, whose tail shot up as soon as she spotted her sister. Apparently, Brightpaw had been wanting to talk to her.

"Sunpaw! You're going to be in so much trouble!" She mewed, brushing her pelt worriedly against her sister's.

"I know," Sunpaw snapped, then her tone grew worried, "What do you think he'll do to me?"

"I wouldn't worry about it."

The unfamiliar mew came from behind them, making both cats jump. Sunpaw stumbled, struggling for balance, before placing her three paws firmly on the ground. Her fur heated with embarrassment, and she glared over at the apprentice who interrupted them. Thistlepaw, Thornstar's son and the most valued apprentice of BurnClan, stood giving her an encouraging look.

"Who asked you?" Sunpaw hissed, at the same moment Brightpaw asked, "Why not?"

The handsome, golden-brown tom hesitated, then mewed, "Well Thornstar can't do anything too ridiculous, especially to her. She'll probably just have to help with the elder-"

"Especially to me?! What, because I can't handle a harsher punishment? If there's one cat he wouldn't punish properly, it would be YOU!" Sunpaw snarled, her fur bristling.

"What, because I'm his son? And you think it would be better for him to be the leader who unfairly punished a new apprentice?" Thistlepaw replied calmly.

"Like he cares," Sunpaw muttered.

"What does that mean?" Thistlepaw snapped, obviously growing irritated.

"It means your father's a heartless mouse brain and you obviously take after him, foxdung!" Sunpaw hissed immediately, her claws out now, muscles tense.

"At least I'm not a three-legged kit who couldn't hurt a fly!" Thistlepaw spat and started circling her, his claws out as well.

"I don't have to be able to hurt a fly to take you on!" Sunpaw yowled, launching at him.

It was a good jump, well-timed and strong enough to knock him over, but Sunpaw didn't hit him. Instead, she collided with a hard, dark-streaked shoulder.

"That's enough!" Marblepelt yowled firmly, knocking his daughter to the ground, "Sunpaw! Have you no self-control? You deserve whatever punishment Thornstar gives you, now BEHAVE!"

Sunpaw flattened to the ground obediently, but her ears were flattened and her lips set in a snarl. Marblepelt glared at her, then hissed and stalked away towards the other warriors.

With a glance back at Brightpaw, who looked stunned, Sunpaw limped forward. Behind her, she heard Brightpaw mewing softly and apologetically to Thistlepaw.

Sunpaw stared forward the rest of the way back to camp, a snarl consistently raging in her throat.

"You! Come here," a voice snapped, startling Sunpaw. She rose guiltily from her spot near the apprentice den and followed Thornstar wordlessly as he led her towards the leader's den.

"What am I going to do to you?" Thornstar snapped, glaring at the young apprentice.

Sunpaw didn't answer, kept her eyes down.

"First, you challenge a Leader! And StarClan sends clouds to cover the moon because of an apprentice?!" he accused, anger lashing out in every word.

Sunpaw remained silent, staring at a bug that was making a trail in the dirt. Her eyes followed as it flew to a nearby leaf, then up into the sky. Into freedom! But then, as it approached the moon, it flew into a spider web. She watched it struggle for a few moments until the spider began to creep forward.

Shuddering, she looked away quickly.

"As if that weren't enough," Thornstar continued, "You attacked Thistlepaw! You're impossible!"

Sunpaw closed her eyes, feeling fear grip her heart.

"Still, you are young and foolish. Your mentor will teach you better. For now, you will be stuck in camp. With the elders. You will live in there with them and never leave unless you are going to get moss or something for their ticks. You will do everything they say, and eat last from the freshkill pile."

_What?!_ _I can't do that! I have training… _Then she bowed her head, "Yes Thornstar."

"Good. You start now," he dismissed her.

With a heavy heart, she bounded toward the elder's den.


	5. Chapter 4: Lost

Prologue- Lightning

Chapter 4

The biting stench of mouse bile-soaked moss made Sunpaw's lip curl with disgust. Her ears were flat against her head as she dropped it near a gray-striped elder, Shortwhisker. Sunpaw let out a little growl as she started to knead the mouse bile into Shortwhisker's fur.

"A little to the left," Shortwhisker snapped, flicking his tail irritably. Sunpaw obliged, swallowing a sharp response. She was tired and angry, it was sunrise after the Gathering and she had already had to fetch mouse bile from Owlpelt for the elders.

"No need to look so down, Sunnypaw. We elders aren't all bad, you know," Mapleflower mewed, stretching out on her side.

"It's _Sunpaw_, not Sunnypaw. And, with all due respect, I really don't think so," Sunpaw snarled.

"Why are you so grumpy?" Mapleflower mewed quietly, busy grooming herself.

Sunpaw heaved an aggravated sigh and stalked out of the elder's den, calling over her shoulder, "I'm going to go get some moss."

Luckily for Sunpaw, the elders really did need moss. And BurnClan's supply of moss was pretty far from camp. Yawning, she started along. She didn't think she was going to be able to stay with the elders much longer, and it had only been a moon! She knew she deserved it, but that only further fueled her anger.

"Hey Sunpaw!" Brightpaw purred, joining her sister and matching her pace easily.

"What do you want?" Sunpaw retorted, trying to go faster.

"How're the elders?" Brightpaw asked, ignoring Sunpaw's temper, and Sunpaw was disgusted to hear a note of sympathy in her voice.

"Fine. I'm getting some moss," she mewed shortly, hoping to discourage her sister's presence.

"I'll come! I can help you carry it back. In fact, all of the dens need some moss; it's been a while since someone's gone all the way toward the pond to get some. We might need some more help," Brightpaw's eyes grew bright with excitement and before Sunpaw could stop her, she had added Sparrowpaw and Thistlepaw to their little patrol.

Sunpaw motioned her sister aside, "What are you doing?!"

"Aw, come on Sunpaw, we do need the moss, and it's a chance to play with some of the apprentices again!" Brightpaw encouraged, though she shuffled her paws with uncertainty.

"I don't want to _play _with anyone! Especially not that mouse-dung Thistlepaw!"

"I know, but he was with Sparrowpaw when I went to ask him…"

"Well, why didn't you get someone other than Sparrowpaw then? Do you want me to get in even more trouble?" Sunpaw snarled, her fur bristling.

Brightpaw opened her mouth to answer, but Thistlepaw wove in between them, meowing coolly, "Let's go." Sunpaw nearly spat at his calm behavior, but managed to simply hurry ahead.

Soon Sunpaw decided to ignore them, and started along again as if they weren't there. She could hear Brightpaw talking to them, but couldn't make out any words. Sunpaw closed her eyes, trying to forget them completely. She could feel the strength of the sun absorbed in her coat and let out a little purr.

BurnClan territory was the sunniest of all, with tall green grass that was wonderful to lie in and share tongues. The camp was near the few trees a couple miles from Twolegplace, where the forest next to the Thunderpath grew sparse.

The blades of grass bent under Sunpaw's belly and sprung up around her, concealing her pelt from the other apprentices as she got further ahead. She opened her mouth and allowed the scents to reach her scent glands; the comforting smells of grass as well as a little preyscent welcomed her.

Her ears flicked forward and her stomach growled a little as the clear scent of mouse reached her. She dropped into a crouch, flicking her tail as quietly as possible to balance on her back leg. Trying furiously to ignore the way she swayed side to side unsteadily, Sunpaw crept forward.

She could see the mouse now, a good fat one, eating a seed underneath a halfway-concealed den. It paused to look around, and then vigorously began washing it's whiskers. Mouth watering, Sunpaw prepared to pounce.

Just when the timing was perfect, a small breeze blew, knocking Sunpaw slightly off balance. She swished her tail furiously, struggling to regain balance. Hopping around awkwardly on her back leg, she tried to find the mouse again but it had gone. She was too loud.

Spitting rage, Sunpaw took a hard swipe at the ground and then swung her head around to bite her shoulder. Her sharp teeth quickly broke the surface, and she squeezed harder until some of the anger and disappointment seceded.

She heard the other apprentices approaching and hurried forward. Any other cat would have easily caught the mouse; the breeze would have been an advantage because it carried her scent away. Any cat with four legs.

Swallowing a mew of sadness mixed with fury, Sunpaw rushed forward. She hadn't the faintest idea where she was going, but she wanted to be alone. Every lopsided step she took seemed to burn her pelt with pain. Why had she been born this way?!

It didn't take long for the young apprentice to get lost. She had only been allowed to explore the territory once or twice, and the grass in the particular area she had wandered to had grown taller than her.

Poking her nose through the strands of grass, she opened her mouth and let the scents flow over her scent glands. She was hoping for any familiar scent, a border mark, or somewhere some cat had been hunting recently.

Her heart began beating faster, overcome with too many emotions, as she started forward blindly. No familiar scents anywhere, every step the ground felt cold and relentless. In BurnClan territory, the grounds were sunny and overflowing with prey. Here it was unfamiliar, ragged sticks jabbing her side, the dirt oddly moist.

"Ow!" she exclaimed as a sharp pain entered her paw. Sitting down awkwardly, she began to ease the thorn out as gently as possible. But her teeth couldn't quite hold the small intruder, and she could feel it digging deeper and deeper into her paw.

She stood up, hissing at nothing in particular. Wincing with every pawstep, she kept moving forward. Eventually she would reach a border and then she could find her way back. But the more she moved, the more on edge she felt. Every hair on her pelt was raised defensively; she jumped at the slightest sounds.

Finally she had to stop. The muscles in her one hind leg were incredibly sore and the thorn was making her limp even more. Her breathing was labored as she swept her tongue over herself, smoothing irritated scratches from sticks and bushes, trying to comfort her aching muscles. Her shoulder prickled uncomfortably from when she had bitten herself earlier.

For once she wished she were back with the Elders. Back in BurnClan with the sun beating down on her, the familiar smells surrounding her.

_I don't need them!_ Sunpaw decided angrily, her throat choked, _All I'm good for is a laugh, no one believes that I will amount to anything._

The pain from her wounds was the only thing stopping her from venting her fury physically. _They're better off without me._ And it was true. Sunpaw couldn't lie to herself about missing her Clan, nor about needing them, but she knew she was more of a hindrance than a help. That's why she was in the Elders den, with the useless cats.

Sunpaw looked up miserably towards the sky. The clouds were darkening threateningly, and the day was fading to night. She hardly remembered how much time she had spent after missing the mouse, but it must have been more than she imagined.

"It isn't fair!" she yowled, every inch of pain inside and outside expressed in one defiant call. It was her against the world, against herself, against her Clan.

"That's life," came a rasping, slithery voice.

Sunpaw sprang to her paws, hissing furiously, "Who's there?"

"Defensive, aren't we?" the voice mewed, a hint of amusement apparent.

"Come out," Sunpaw ordered, she didn't like the cold feeling she was getting whenever the voice spoke.

"Very well," it didn't sound quite as cold as a mangy, flea-ridden, scarred, black-and-white tom appeared from behind a nearby tree. Sunpaw sized him up quickly; he was much bigger than her, but scrawny and obviously bad off. His scars were impressive though, and in her weakened state, she didn't anticipate a victory.

"Who're you?" she demanded, allowing annoyance, fury, and disgust to taint her tone.

"Friendly, as always," the tom noted, "I'm Scram. At least that's what the Twolegs call me."

"You're a kittypet then?" Sunpaw snarled, wondering why he looked so badly fed. Kittypets were supposed to be fat and soft.

"Do I look like a kittypet?" Scram sneered, voicing her thoughts, "I'm more of what you Clan cats would call a Loner."

"How did you know I was a Clan cat?" Sunpaw asked, voice faltering slightly. She began backing away slowly as the tom approached.

"Oh, you can always tell with Clan cats. Well-fed but hard-muscled, and you have a certain 'dialect'," Scram stated, as if it were obvious.

"Oh," Sunpaw answered, growing more and more nervous. Scram seemed to be pressing slowly towards her, pushing her farther and farther away from where she had been resting.

"Yes. You still haven't told me your name," Scram meowed, sitting briefly to scratch his ear.

"No. I haven't," Sunpaw growled, her paws starting to itch for a fight.

"Well," Scram surmised slowly, looking her straight in the eyes, "I suppose you're not obliged to. So what are you doing here, Clan cat?"

"None of your business," she snapped quickly, glancing around for some sort of escape. The only problem was she hadn't the slightest idea where she was.

Scram paused, considering her answer, and then let out a little mrrow, "I suppose you're right. But I can guess. You're lost."

Sunpaw opened her mouth to argue, but decided better of it and kept her mouth shut.

"Yes I thought so," Scram murmured, looking sideways at her, "You're near Twolegplace if that's what you're wondering, going the opposite way of your Clan."

Surprised, Sunpaw looked around, "Oh-uh… thanks?"

"Mhm," Scram said mildly, "But I wouldn't head back if I were you. You crossed what you Clan cats would call Rogue territory. Traveling through that in the middle of the night is a bad idea."

"Why're you helping me?" Sunpaw hissed suspiciously. She sat down, noticing that they were quite a ways from where they had started. Instead of the flat, prickly, thorn-covered patch of wasteland, they were in a wet, grassy field with strange Twoleg trees coming out of the ground.

Scram shrugged his shoulders passively, "I could use the company, and you've got spirit. Most Clan cats just brush us aside like we're dirt."

"Who's us?" Sunpaw asked, genuinely confused. Scram was pressing in on her again, but this time she sat still, not wanting to be any closer to Twolegplace than she already was.

Suddenly, Scram stiffened. His ears pricked forward, eyes alert, muscled tense. He slowly opened his mouth to let the air come into his scent glands. Sunpaw opened hers too, but smelled only the strange scent of her surroundings.

"I have to leave now," Scram meowed, almost sadly, staring straight over Sunpaw's head.

"Wha-Wait! What's going on?" Sunpaw protested, but Scram was gone, "Where am I?!" Hissing, she cuffed the dirt. She was back in the same position, every part of her screaming with pain, only slightly less lost, and more confused than ever. She even missed Scram's company, she had started to warm up to him. He may have been mangy and disgusting, but he had helped her.

Sighing, she surveyed her surroundings again. She was next to the Twoleg tree things, and she studied them more closely. They ran in a long line, some going straight up like growing trees, some running sideways or suspended in the air. "Weird," she muttered, and tentatively reached out a paw.

The thing didn't bite her, so she decided it was like a tree. Safe to climb. With that, she leaped up onto one of the sideways trees and then scrambled up to the top. Tail lashing furiously for balance, she placed her hind leg firmly behind her. Slightly pleased with her success, she looked out at the Twoleg territory.

Across the field from her was a single Twoleg nest, and a flat expanse of dirt where monsters were supposedly sleeping. She narrowed her eyes, feeling nervous.

She had to dig her claws into the tree when shouts of Twolegs reached her ears. She looked around, spotted them returning from the Twoleg footpath, and tried to shrink into the tree. If she jumped down, they would see her. So she remained still.

One of the Twoleg kits began yelping excitedly, pointing at Sunpaw. She hissed, though they were too far away to hear her. She unhitched her claws and was about to climb down when a rock flew past her, maybe a whisker away. Shaking, Sunpaw looked over at the Twoleg kits again, they were throwing things at her.

She positioned her legs to jump off, but had to regain balance for a moment when her back leg faltered. The moment was too long, and a rock struck her in the side. Yowling, she struggled to regain her balance, but her back leg slipped. The fall ripped her claws from the post violently and she hit the fence as she tumbled downward.

Barely conscious, she felt the bruises, the reopened wounds, the numerous scratches, and wished she would just die. Gasping for air, she dragged herself toward a small, concealed spot beneath a bush. Shaking with exhaustion, she collapsed.


	6. Chapter 5: Haze

**A/N: People, if you read it, please review! Suggestions welcome and I can take a harsh critique. (As long as it's not ridiculous) PLEASE REVIEW!!**

Shrouded Sun Chapter 5- Haze

When Sunpaw managed to open her eyes, she was overwhelmed with tiny details. The most unsettling was pain. There was a throbbing, swelling bruise under her right ear, an aching bite on her shoulder, scratches scattered about her fur, and a dull pain emanating from every muscle.

She was too stunned by the sudden feeling to do anything but gasp for air in strangled, toxic lungfuls. After a few moments of this, her breath scraped down her throat enough to satisfy her need for air. Then she was hit by a wave of smell, none of which she recognized.

And finally, overtaking her as if she were prey, came the memories. The hunting mishap, getting lost, Scram, and finally the treacherous Twoleg kits and the rock rushed over her, too much to take all at once. Fury immediately surged through and she made a weak attempt to stand, finding instead that her muscles protested.

"Lie still," a voice commanded, sounding fuzzy, faraway.

At first, she thought it was Scram and she relaxed a little. The scrawny tom had done nothing but help her before, why should things be different now? Then a sudden memory hit, accompanied by a familiar scent. The memory of a pelt slipping between her and her sister flashed before her eyes. Thistlepaw.

Snarling, she was suddenly able to jump to her three feet this time. It was bad enough having every inch of her screaming, but to be seen so weak by another Clanmate!

"I said lie still," Thistlpaw reminded her, stepping forward.

Sunpaw's eyes flashed in anger, catching every detail. The shadows of the bush across her face, the bush she had crawled to after the Twoleg kits threw the rock at her. The uncertain way Thistlepaw stood, his weight positioned backward as if slightly afraid. The unfamiliar grass rolling away behind him…

"What do you want?" she hissed, starting forward. The pain that seized her entire body flared up threateningly, and she winced. Angry at her weakness, she took another step, attempting to ignore it.

"We've been looking for you…" he began.

But Sunpaw cut him off, "We? Where's Brightpaw?!"

"She and Sparrowpaw went to get Owlpelt."

"Why'd they leave you?" she demanded furiously. She would have much rather woken up to Brightpaw, annoying though she was.

"I don't know!" he mewed defensively, "Brightpaw said something about us needing to talk…"

Sunpaw pictured her cream-colored sister happily ordering Thistlepaw to stay, picturing in her simple little mind how Sunpaw would forgive him… "I'm going to kill her," Sunpaw decided.

Looking alarmed, Thistlepaw mewed quickly, "I-I think you better just lie down…"

"Oh really? Are you medicine cat apprentice now?" Sunpaw accused, starting to limp away.

"No," Thistlepaw said slowly, and Sunpaw could see he was fighting the urge to argue, "but you look pretty bad."

"I always look bad! I've got three legs!" She shouted randomly, hoping to provoke a fight. She ignored the pain searing through her and asked, "Now which way is camp?"

"Well you look worse," he stated, ignoring her question.

Sunpaw collapsed angrily, her breath coming in short rasps. The pain in her head was unbearable, and she thought she might have re-opened her shoulder. Her muscles screamed; she could hear them in her head. High, deafening, a sort of ringing sound that flared with the pain. Staggered by the sudden wave of pain, she fought harder to stay awake.

"You should rest," Thistlepaw whispered.

"Shut up," Sunpaw murmured, "Foxdung." She had meant it to be fierce, provocative, but it came out a fatigued whisper as her eyes snapped shut.

It was a voice, again, that awoke her. She remembered everything as she awoke this time; the pain came a little more slowly. But she still refused to open her eyes to the reality before her.

"…going to need some poppy seeds." That was Owlpelt, his voice smooth like lazy sunlight.

"I have some here!" Brightpaw. Worried and anxious to help.

"What do you think happened?" She didn't recognize this one easily, so she knew it was Sparrowpaw. He sounded curious, but also scared.

Owlpelt must have ignored him, because the next thing she felt was Owlpelt's voice, urging her to wake up.

She replied with an irritable hiss, letting her eyes drift open slightly. All four cats stared down at her, their expressions varying from Owlpelt's calm expertise, Brightpaw's excited worry, Sparrowpaw's curious, wary gaze, to Thistlepaw's solid, unreadable expression.

Glaring, she began positioning her paws to stand up, ignoring the protests in her muscles.

"Stay down," Owlpelt ordered and Sunpaw obeyed, too weak to do anything but. "Eat this," he urged, motioning toward the small pile of poppy seed. Faintly, she flicked out her tongue and swallowed the herbs.

"It may take a while for them to sink in," Owlpelt explained calmly, then turned to the apprentices, "We need to get her back to camp. And she can't walk there."

"We'll carry her!" Brightpaw promised, giving Sunpaw what she obviously thought was an encouraging look.

"No," Sunpaw growled, "You won't." She didn't need anyone carrying her anywhere.

"Be reasonable Sunpaw," Owlpelt mewed, almost a command, "Now, if we lay her across two of our backs, we should be able to manage."

Sunpaw let out a hiss of protest, caught Owlpelt's fierce gaze, and then nodded glumly.

In the next couple of moments, she found herself slung over Owlpelt and Brightpaw's backs. She had refused to be carried by Thistlepaw or Sparrowpaw, convinced Thistlepaw at least would have dropped her on purpose.

It was comforting to have Owlpelt there; he seemed to know the whole territory by heart and often mumbled about where the herbs grew best. The journey seemed a whole lot shorter going back, but then Sunpaw might have fallen asleep.

When her eyes opened, proving to herself that she had been asleep, she was hidden in the dark edge of the medicine cat den. Too tired and confused to register anything else, she fell asleep to the steady rhythm of the ringing in her head.


End file.
